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16 December, 2016

Too Much!

Recently, I was in a long line of people, all of us waiting
our turn. I watched people, some seeming to carry heavy burdens by the way they
moved and interacted with others. Snatches of conversations overheard were
filled with unkind words. I thought of many things I had recently heard and
seen. I felt the weight…

Then, completely unbidden, my eyes began to leak. My heart
felt too heavy for breath to come and I thought my knees would buckle. I cried
out in my spirit, “O God! The weight of sin is too much. The burden of sin is
too much, too much to ask of us to see the sin of others and feel its weight. O

God, help me!”

And it was almost as if Jesus Himself spoke in an audible
voice within me, “My daughter. I am come. I already bore the sin of all mankind
that you might know freedom and never have to carry that weight. I am the
Savior of the world and I am come. I am here.”

Immediately, my spirit cried out in deep gratitude, tears
flowing as I soaked in the joy of knowing my Savior, of having Him here, of His
being with me. My heart cried out with Mary, mother of Jesus, “My soul exalts
the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…for The Mighty One has done
great things for me; and holy is His name!” (Luke 1:46, 47, 49-NASB)

I felt released from the weight as suddenly as I had felt it
come. I remembered the words of Zacharias as he prophesied over his newborn
son, “To grant to us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might
serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.”
(Luke 1:74-75-NASB)

I reached my turn of being served, then turned to walk away.
It was SUCH A RELIEF, realizing all over again that I need a savior, and He is
come! He is present. With me. Always. I have not to carry the burden of sin. I have
Him to offer instead.

I still am broken by Love Himself. I still feel the
heaviness of sorrow over sin. I still cry with those who cry out for help in
their brokenness and/or sin. But I don’t carry the weight. Instead, I offer
Jesus. Not some platitude, not some shadow of someone yet to come, but the Real
One. Jesus is here. Now. Actively present, He is.

It isn’t heavy. It is a privilege, “to give to His people
the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the
tender mercy of our God…” (Luke 1:77-78a-NASB)
I am not John the Baptist, but like him, I have the privilege of
offering Jesus to others, serving Him without fear, in holiness and
righteousness before Him all my days.

2
comments:

Oh, Christine, how beautiful that you can share your experience with those of us that often find our hearts breaking for those around us. Thank you for the reminder that we do have Jesus. He is Come. He is here, we need not carry the weight alone. These feelings hit me frequently when I work with the youth in our community, so much sin causes such pain for many of the kids I work with. My heart breaks for them. Blessings to you today.

Jeff & Christine

Why We Serve

Since arriving on the continent of Africa as missionaries, we have taken chances, faced challenges, and seen many changes. Through it all, we have experienced God's faithfulness and provision. As new missionaries, we claimed 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 as our life verses, reminding us that "God is our adequacy." We relied on God's help as we adapted to new cultures and learned to use our professional skills in new ways. We sought His help as we built relationships with our missionary co-workers and those we serve in Africa.

As we continue to serve, we continue to rely on God to be our adequacy. In Uganda we encounter great challenges, yet great joys as we experience God working to bring wholistic transformation to lives. We are excited about continuing to serve God in Uganda and the surrounding countries. As we grow in our personal relationships with Christ, we want to share more of the abundant life in Him with others.